The Executive Director of the Public Transport Agency at the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai, Ahmed Hashem Bahrouyan, stressed to «Emirates Today» that the cleaning and sterilization operations are continuing on a daily basis for all means of public transportation, and that it is a safe way to use, indicating the need for some functional and social groups urgently to use these means, And that necessitated the continuation of all the relevant transport authorities at the level of the world, commitment to provide a mass transport service, as it is a basic community service, and a major artery for the continuation of daily life, even during the application of precautionary measures to combat the spread (COFED-19).
Behroozyan said that it is natural for the number of public transportation passengers to decrease during this period, which witnesses the application of intensive programs of precautionary and preventive measures to combat the spread of the Corona virus, especially during the hours of the night ban, and during the implementation of national sterilization operations, which started last Thursday night.
He pointed out that this does not negate the need of employees working in hospitals, emergency departments and the health sector, as well as outlets selling essential supplies, to use public transportation, stressing that hundreds of employees working in the authority are sure to apply the correct instructions and procedures required, to ensure the safety of passengers and drivers for these means, From buses, metro and taxi vehicles, as well as to implement all kinds of precautionary programs.
On the possibility of thermal examination of passengers before entering the metro and bus stations, as a kind of precautionary measure, Bahruzian said that it is difficult to apply this, in light of the numbers that use the means of transportation around the clock in all regions, but he indicated that the measures taken to transport passengers, Such as determining the places to sit and stand, ensuring that there is sufficient safety distance, as well as in the light of continuous sterilization operations, makes public transportation in Dubai safe, especially in light of passengers' commitment to the instructions and instructions required of them.
And on the reason for stopping the Dubai Metro service during the national sterilization period, he said that the metro is the most popular means of transportation that is used by large numbers of passengers on a daily basis, so a decision has been taken to conduct intensive and continuous sterilization operations over two days for the entire metro train cars, knowing that cleaning and sterilization operations are continuing And continuing on a daily basis, before the start of the national sterilization period.
Behroozyan explained that taxis and public transportation lines were provided, instead of the metro service, even during the restriction of night traffic during the period of national sterilization, in order to ensure and facilitate the transportation of passengers from the excluded groups due to their working conditions.
Responding to a question about whether there is an obligation to compel passengers to use masks and gloves while using public transport, Behroozyan said that this is not possible because their prices may be high, especially with regard to the capabilities of the groups used for public transportation, stressing that it is not possible to prevent passengers from using transportation Year because they don’t wear blankets, at a time when they don’t have other means of transportation to take them.
On the guarantee of the health and safety of drivers, especially taxi drivers who depend on them to transport passengers during the night-time restriction period, and during the national sterilization period, Bahruzian said that a thermal examination and a first evaluation of the health status of drivers are carried out before they are delivered the taxi to start work, As it is prohibited for the driver to receive the vehicle in the event of any health offer requiring quarantine.
Behroozyan stressed the importance of adhering to the national campaign "Stay at home", and the governmental instructions that emphasized the necessity of staying in homes, in the interest of public safety, but at the same time he assured the users of public transportation from the groups compelled to use it, that the concerned teams in the authority are committed to applying all Preventive and precautionary measures required to achieve safety of movement in public transport.